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Los Angeles and San Diego Schools to Go Online-Only in the Fall Los Angeles and San Diego Schools to Go Online-Only in the Fall
(1 day later)
SACRAMENTO — California’s two largest public school districts said on Monday that instruction would be online-only in the fall, in the latest sign that school administrators are increasingly unwilling to risk crowding students back into classrooms until the coronavirus is fully under control.SACRAMENTO — California’s two largest public school districts said on Monday that instruction would be online-only in the fall, in the latest sign that school administrators are increasingly unwilling to risk crowding students back into classrooms until the coronavirus is fully under control.
The school districts in Los Angeles and San Diego, which together enroll some 825,000 students, are the largest in the country to abandon plans for even a partial physical return to classrooms when they reopen in August.The school districts in Los Angeles and San Diego, which together enroll some 825,000 students, are the largest in the country to abandon plans for even a partial physical return to classrooms when they reopen in August.
The decision came as Gov. Gavin Newsom announced some of the most sweeping rollbacks yet of California’s plans to reopen. Indoor operations for restaurants, bars, wineries, movie theaters and zoos were shut down statewide on Monday, and churches, gyms, hair salons, malls and other businesses were shuttered for four-fifths of the population.The decision came as Gov. Gavin Newsom announced some of the most sweeping rollbacks yet of California’s plans to reopen. Indoor operations for restaurants, bars, wineries, movie theaters and zoos were shut down statewide on Monday, and churches, gyms, hair salons, malls and other businesses were shuttered for four-fifths of the population.
“There’s a public health imperative to keep schools from becoming a petri dish,” said Austin Beutner, the Los Angeles school district’s superintendent.“There’s a public health imperative to keep schools from becoming a petri dish,” said Austin Beutner, the Los Angeles school district’s superintendent.
The California decisions are the latest blow to President Trump’s push to fully reopen schools across the country this fall in order to get the economy moving by enabling parents to return to workplaces. Districts, parents and teachers have struggled to maintain the education of tens of millions of K-12 students while keeping them and their teachers healthy and safe.The California decisions are the latest blow to President Trump’s push to fully reopen schools across the country this fall in order to get the economy moving by enabling parents to return to workplaces. Districts, parents and teachers have struggled to maintain the education of tens of millions of K-12 students while keeping them and their teachers healthy and safe.
At the White House, Mr. Trump denounced the decision in Los Angeles, arguing that schools should resume because children wanted to attend.At the White House, Mr. Trump denounced the decision in Los Angeles, arguing that schools should resume because children wanted to attend.
“Schools should be opened,” Mr. Trump said. “You’re losing a lot of lives by keeping things closed.” It was not clear what he meant, since public health experts say the virus spreads quickly in poorly ventilated, closed areas, the condition of many American schools.“Schools should be opened,” Mr. Trump said. “You’re losing a lot of lives by keeping things closed.” It was not clear what he meant, since public health experts say the virus spreads quickly in poorly ventilated, closed areas, the condition of many American schools.
Across the country, school districts are taking a patchwork approach to reopening.Across the country, school districts are taking a patchwork approach to reopening.
New York City, the nation’s largest school district, announced last week that it would provide several days per week of in-person learning, with students working online from home the rest of the time. Seattle has also announced a hybrid model that is emerging as popular nationwide, among both large and small districts. Chicago, the nation’s third-biggest system, has not yet announced its reopening plan.New York City, the nation’s largest school district, announced last week that it would provide several days per week of in-person learning, with students working online from home the rest of the time. Seattle has also announced a hybrid model that is emerging as popular nationwide, among both large and small districts. Chicago, the nation’s third-biggest system, has not yet announced its reopening plan.
But in cities where the virus has continued to rage, efforts at compromise solutions have increasingly proven unworkable — a shattering realization for families that have strained for months to cobble normalcy out of a situation that is pitting their children’s development and education against parental livelihoods and household health.But in cities where the virus has continued to rage, efforts at compromise solutions have increasingly proven unworkable — a shattering realization for families that have strained for months to cobble normalcy out of a situation that is pitting their children’s development and education against parental livelihoods and household health.
Mahogany Taylor, a 39-year-old mother of two and the president of the San Diego Unified Council of PTAs, said the loss of in-person instruction was particularly destructive for elementary school students — many of whom cannot type — and for low-income students, who often lack internet access, and who make up nearly 60 percent of San Diego Unified’s students.Mahogany Taylor, a 39-year-old mother of two and the president of the San Diego Unified Council of PTAs, said the loss of in-person instruction was particularly destructive for elementary school students — many of whom cannot type — and for low-income students, who often lack internet access, and who make up nearly 60 percent of San Diego Unified’s students.
At the same time, Ms. Taylor said, a districtwide survey showed that 40 percent of parents already were planning to insist on remote instruction. “We obviously believe that school is the best place for kids,” she said, “but we also want them to be safe.”At the same time, Ms. Taylor said, a districtwide survey showed that 40 percent of parents already were planning to insist on remote instruction. “We obviously believe that school is the best place for kids,” she said, “but we also want them to be safe.”
All across the nation, school officials are trying to balance safety against learning losses. Initial research showed that during the first round of school closures, American children were set back, on average, by seven months in their reading and math learning, with children from low-income families, and students of color, experiencing even bigger losses.All across the nation, school officials are trying to balance safety against learning losses. Initial research showed that during the first round of school closures, American children were set back, on average, by seven months in their reading and math learning, with children from low-income families, and students of color, experiencing even bigger losses.
Still, district leaders in Los Angeles and San Diego said, California was not in a position to reopen schools.Still, district leaders in Los Angeles and San Diego said, California was not in a position to reopen schools.
“Those countries that have managed to safely reopen schools have done so with declining infection rates and on-demand testing available,” the statement said. “California has neither. The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control.”“Those countries that have managed to safely reopen schools have done so with declining infection rates and on-demand testing available,” the statement said. “California has neither. The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control.”
Mr. Beutner, whose district is the nation’s second largest, said in an interview that schools “can’t just tap our heels together” like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” and “pretend it’s appropriate to bring people back” despite “skyrocketing” rates of new infections.Mr. Beutner, whose district is the nation’s second largest, said in an interview that schools “can’t just tap our heels together” like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” and “pretend it’s appropriate to bring people back” despite “skyrocketing” rates of new infections.
California’s death toll from the coronavirus rose to more than 7,000 over the weekend, with 7.4 percent of test results coming back positive over the past two weeks, even as testing has ramped up to more than 100,000 tests a day. The state’s watch list of counties where the virus has surged, which has flagged Los Angeles and San Diego Counties, includes 30 of its 58 counties.California’s death toll from the coronavirus rose to more than 7,000 over the weekend, with 7.4 percent of test results coming back positive over the past two weeks, even as testing has ramped up to more than 100,000 tests a day. The state’s watch list of counties where the virus has surged, which has flagged Los Angeles and San Diego Counties, includes 30 of its 58 counties.
For the time being, Mr. Beutner said, the Los Angeles district will maintain the online instruction it has been providing since its 700,000 students and 75,000 employees were sent home in mid-March. He said the decision would be revisited when local infection rates have been sufficiently lowered and public health authorities have put into place adequate testing and contact tracing systems.For the time being, Mr. Beutner said, the Los Angeles district will maintain the online instruction it has been providing since its 700,000 students and 75,000 employees were sent home in mid-March. He said the decision would be revisited when local infection rates have been sufficiently lowered and public health authorities have put into place adequate testing and contact tracing systems.
“It’s disappointing,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we’ve got to make sure everyone’s safe.”“It’s disappointing,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we’ve got to make sure everyone’s safe.”
Many parents, students and teachers are still waiting to learn whether their districts will open this fall.Many parents, students and teachers are still waiting to learn whether their districts will open this fall.
On Monday night, the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education is expected to adopt a plan for full-time remote learning for at least the first nine weeks of the school year.On Monday night, the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education is expected to adopt a plan for full-time remote learning for at least the first nine weeks of the school year.
Nashville originally planned to open five days a week, but rolled that back on July 9, citing the rising number of local coronavirus cases.Nashville originally planned to open five days a week, but rolled that back on July 9, citing the rising number of local coronavirus cases.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is currently asking parents to choose between full-time remote learning and a “schoolhouse model,” which would be in-person two to five days a week and online the rest of the time, depending on the number of students enrolled in a building and the amount of space available for social distancing.Miami-Dade County Public Schools is currently asking parents to choose between full-time remote learning and a “schoolhouse model,” which would be in-person two to five days a week and online the rest of the time, depending on the number of students enrolled in a building and the amount of space available for social distancing.
Schools in New York will only reopen if the state can keep the virus under control, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Monday.Schools in New York will only reopen if the state can keep the virus under control, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Monday.
The governor said he would allow reopenings only in regions of the state that have daily infection rates under 5 percent over a two-week average. Regions with infection rates over 9 percent over a one-week average will not be allowed to open schools or will automatically have their schools shuttered.The governor said he would allow reopenings only in regions of the state that have daily infection rates under 5 percent over a two-week average. Regions with infection rates over 9 percent over a one-week average will not be allowed to open schools or will automatically have their schools shuttered.
Updated July 7, 2020
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
New York City, which has maintained an average infection rate of 1 to 2 percent, is on track to partially reopen in September.New York City, which has maintained an average infection rate of 1 to 2 percent, is on track to partially reopen in September.
All the plans, district leaders say, are subject to change at a moment’s notice, as public health guidance shifts or as governors make statewide decisions.All the plans, district leaders say, are subject to change at a moment’s notice, as public health guidance shifts or as governors make statewide decisions.
Indeed, with the pandemic still raging across much of the country, it has become clear that improving the quality of online learning will be at least as important in the coming months as dealing with the logistics of reopening physical schools.Indeed, with the pandemic still raging across much of the country, it has become clear that improving the quality of online learning will be at least as important in the coming months as dealing with the logistics of reopening physical schools.
Several other large California districts, including Santa Clara, Oakland and San Bernardino, have already announced that they will stick, at least for the foreseeable future, with full-time remote instruction, and the state’s politically powerful teachers’ unions also have come out against a return to in-person classes.Several other large California districts, including Santa Clara, Oakland and San Bernardino, have already announced that they will stick, at least for the foreseeable future, with full-time remote instruction, and the state’s politically powerful teachers’ unions also have come out against a return to in-person classes.
The Los Angeles teachers’ union called last week for campuses to remain closed and for learning to be fully remote when the district resumes classes on Aug. 18, saying Mr. Trump’s reopening push was part of a “dangerous, anti-science agenda.” In an informal survey of 18,000 United Teachers Los Angeles members that was released on Friday, 83 percent agreed that campuses should not physically reopen.The Los Angeles teachers’ union called last week for campuses to remain closed and for learning to be fully remote when the district resumes classes on Aug. 18, saying Mr. Trump’s reopening push was part of a “dangerous, anti-science agenda.” In an informal survey of 18,000 United Teachers Los Angeles members that was released on Friday, 83 percent agreed that campuses should not physically reopen.
And the state’s largest teachers’ union wrote Mr. Newsom — a Democrat elected with their support — a sharply worded letter last week expressing concern “that politics are being played with the lives of children and the educators who serve them.”And the state’s largest teachers’ union wrote Mr. Newsom — a Democrat elected with their support — a sharply worded letter last week expressing concern “that politics are being played with the lives of children and the educators who serve them.”
“It is clear that communities and school districts have not come close to meeting the threshold for a safe return to in-person learning, even under a hybrid model,” the 310,000-member California Teachers Association wrote.“It is clear that communities and school districts have not come close to meeting the threshold for a safe return to in-person learning, even under a hybrid model,” the 310,000-member California Teachers Association wrote.
Some $13.5 billion went to K-12 education from the federal relief package passed in March by Congress. But education groups and school districts estimate that schools will need much more money to safely reopen, and with the economic impact of the pandemic having depleted many local and state budgets, it is unclear where it will come from. The Trump administration has alternately threatened to cut funds to school districts that fail to fully reopen and reward districts that do.Some $13.5 billion went to K-12 education from the federal relief package passed in March by Congress. But education groups and school districts estimate that schools will need much more money to safely reopen, and with the economic impact of the pandemic having depleted many local and state budgets, it is unclear where it will come from. The Trump administration has alternately threatened to cut funds to school districts that fail to fully reopen and reward districts that do.
As recently as late last week, leaders in San Diego Unified were promoting their plan to reopen five days a week, in person, for all students whose families chose that option. But the district had also warned that the health, sanitation and educational costs of reopening physical classrooms safely were so steep — a minimum of $90 million for the coming school year — that they would not be able to do so without a significant infusion of federal dollars.As recently as late last week, leaders in San Diego Unified were promoting their plan to reopen five days a week, in person, for all students whose families chose that option. But the district had also warned that the health, sanitation and educational costs of reopening physical classrooms safely were so steep — a minimum of $90 million for the coming school year — that they would not be able to do so without a significant infusion of federal dollars.
At the same time, the district’s teachers’ union was arguing that reopening during an alarming increase in coronavirus cases was unwise, and would put teachers’ health at risk.At the same time, the district’s teachers’ union was arguing that reopening during an alarming increase in coronavirus cases was unwise, and would put teachers’ health at risk.
The superintendent, Cindy Marten, had been working with education leaders across the country to lobby the Senate to pass a second stimulus package for schools.The superintendent, Cindy Marten, had been working with education leaders across the country to lobby the Senate to pass a second stimulus package for schools.
Ms. Marten said the district had not given up on the possibility of reopening physically if infection rates get down to a safe and manageable level, and even moved forward over the weekend with plans to buy $11 million worth of masks and other protective equipment. But the state’s current infection levels, she said, “should make it clear to everyone that the virus is not under control.”Ms. Marten said the district had not given up on the possibility of reopening physically if infection rates get down to a safe and manageable level, and even moved forward over the weekend with plans to buy $11 million worth of masks and other protective equipment. But the state’s current infection levels, she said, “should make it clear to everyone that the virus is not under control.”
“School districts need to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time,” Ms. Marten said. “We must both plan for a physical reopening while taking measures to keep our communities safe.”“School districts need to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time,” Ms. Marten said. “We must both plan for a physical reopening while taking measures to keep our communities safe.”
Shawn Hubler reported from Sacramento and Dana Goldstein from New York. Eliza Shapiro contributed reporting from New York and Katie Rogers from Washington.Shawn Hubler reported from Sacramento and Dana Goldstein from New York. Eliza Shapiro contributed reporting from New York and Katie Rogers from Washington.